The Not So Perfect Soldier
by C3ll4
Summary: Dean could never say no to Sammy but what happens when his disobedience draws unwanted attention and puts the family in danger. A wee!chester fic. Dean is 11 and Sam 6(and a half). Rated T for violence against children and language.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first Supernatural fic. I really love the show and the bond between Dean and Sam. I also think that John wasn't as bad as people think he was. I do think that he lost sight of what was really important. I'm an avid fan of Dean whumping. So I hope you guys enjoy this story. Please leave a review. I like to hear your opinions.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

-SPN-

"Dammit Dean I gave you an order." Dean looked at his father chin sticking out defiantly.

"He's just a kid, dad. And he deserves to feel just like a kid. He's not a soldier." Like me Dean added in silence.

John looked at his oldest son. Dean was right. Sam wasn't a soldier nor an adult. Sam was a six-year-old boy and Dean, his little soldier, 11. John shook his head. Dean wasn't a soldier. This wasn't the life he wanted for them but he was dealt this hand and like the marine he was, he had to adapt. Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of leaving his kids behind. There was no family member that could take care of them. But he was hell bent on finding that thing that killed Mary. So obsessed that he had dragged his kids in this mess. Hunting the supernatural. How ludicrous it sounds. He never let his kids join him in the hunt. He would drag them to a city to investigate and they mostly lived in motels. And that's where he left them when he went to look for whatever evil that was lurking in the shadows. But on occasion he had to bring Dean. Dean was an excellent marksman and knife handler but he was only eleven.

Dean was still staring at his dad. Yes, he had disobeyed an order but seeing the look on Sammy's face was more than worth it. The object of their discussion was currently snoring in Dean's bed. Dean never defied his father because he was his father and it was just the three of them. Sam and Dean were his dad's responsibility and Sammy was Dean's responsibility. From the moment dad put Sam in his arms, Dean knew. Over the years that feeling only intensified. When his dad was out hunting Sam would be Dean's responsibility and Dean was okay with that. But over the years he could see his brother change. And Dean wanted Sam to hold on to that innocence for as long as possible. And if that meant that Dean had to defy an order, so be it.

John scrubbed his face.

"Go to bed Dean." Dean looked at his father. This wasn't what he expected to hear.

"Sir?"

"I said go to bed. We'll talk about it tomorrow." Dean nodded and walked to his room. He gently stroked Sam's hair before he laid down on Sam's bed. He smiled when he remembered Sam's surprised face when he took him to the carnival. It was definitely worth it.

-SPN-

Dean was rudely awakened by a sound in the room. He bolted upright and tried to see what it was. His heart constricted when he saw a dark figure standing over his brother. On instinct he reacted and launched himself on the figure.

"Leave him alone." Dean yelled. The figure in black was caught off guard and the sudden tightness around his neck was overwhelming for a bit. The boy's shout had also awoken his target. The little boy stared at him and the tears were welling up. Then he started wailing.

-SPN-

John fell asleep on the couch not long after their argument. The painkiller was working a tad too well. Stupid spirit. He had been thrown around and bruised his kidneys in the process. They had given him painkillers because it hurt like hell. John wasn't usually one for drugs but he needed to get home and taking the painkiller was the only way of achieving that. Unfortunately, it did make him a bit drowsy hence the sleeping on the couch. He could hear something penetrating his drug induced slumber. It sounded like a scream. And now someone was crying.

"Sammy!" John gripped his pistol and flew to the bedroom. He couldn't believe his eyes. Dean was fighting something and Sammy was sitting on the bed. Frightened. John aimed his pistol but couldn't fire a shot without hitting Dean. He needed to get Sam out of harms way. He motioned for Sam to come his way. He could see that Sam was terrified of moving. And if like Dean felt it and he yelled to Sam.

"Sammy go to dad." Sam practically sprinted John's way. John lifted Sam in his arms and quickly placed him in the cupboard.

"Stay here until I come and get you." Sam nodded and John closed the cupboard and made his way over to the bedroom where surprisingly Dean was still fighting it. Dean was still on the thing's neck. The figure was wildly moving around. Ran backwards into the wall, but Dean's grip was relentless. Just as John thought that Dean was getting the upper hand two things happened. The first one was that Dean made the mistake of looking at his father and the second was that they heard a crash in the kitchen. He was momentarily caught off guard. When John turned he saw that the man had successfully managed to get Dean of his back and with a one-handed throw threw Dean into the wall. Dean sagged in a boneless heap, blood trickling down the side of his head. Then John did what needed to be done and fired two shots. Both hitting center mass. The person, a fucking human, fell to the floor. Gasping for air. Blood falling from his mouth. John almost fired another shot but saw that the man had drawn his last breath. John rushed over to Dean's side. His son looked bad. His breathing was off, his lips had taken on a bluish tinge and the blood was still freely flowing from his side down his face. John didn't want to move him, afraid of aggravating any damage done to his son. He could hear sirens approaching. Someone had called the police.

"Dean. Come on buddy. Open your eyes." John pleaded. Dean remained still, not even the twitch of muscle. Someone kicked in the door of the motel.

"Step away from the boy." A voice said. John turned to look at the door opening and looked into the barrel of a gun.

"My son needs help. He threw him into the wall." John said.

"Your son?" The officer asked.

"Yes Dean. He tried to protect his brother." The officer was immediately by John's side and radioed for an ambulance. Another officer checked on the body. As the paramedics came into the room they had to physically push John out of the way. The officer looked at him and was talking to him but nothing registered except for one word... sons. Sammy!

John raced to the cupboard and opened it. In it Sam was still sitting there, tears streaming down his face. John carefully lifted Sam into his arms.

"You're safe." Sam's grip tightened.

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked. Before John could answer a paramedic came into view.

"Sir, we are taking your son to the hospital. We think he has a few broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung." Sam had no idea what it all meant but it couldn't be good as he felt his dad tremble. He started wailing again.

"Sir, do we need to check him?"

"No, he's just upset." John said as he kept a tight arm at Sam.

"I want Dean." Sam cried. They were taken to the hospital where Dean was whisked away to the or. John had to give his statement and a nurse checked on Sam and gave him a juice box. Sam was currently in John's lap, sleeping. The exhaustion caught up with him. Dean had been in surgery for the past hour and John was worried. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to Dean. Half an hour later a surgeon appeared. He walked to John.

"Mr. Winchester?" John looked up and wanted to stand but the doctor put his hand on John's shoulder.

"Dean?" John asked. The doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry. The internal damage was too much. The rib punctured his lung and heart. We didn't see it until it was too late. We are sorry. Is there anyone we can call for you?" John's heart constricted. It was getting so hard to breathe.

-SPN-

Omg, I just ended this chapter with a cliffhanger. Sorry...well not really. (:

Please hit the review button. I'd like to hear your opinions


	2. Chapter 2

I'm really sorry for not mentioning this but it's not a deathfic. If I would ever write a death fic then I would post the warnings. The only warnings for this story is violence towards children and language. Not a deathfic!

I am not a doctor. I have no idea if this is what really happens in a hospital. We'll just call it creative writing and attribute that to artistic freedom.

But on a lighter note I am baffled by all the reviews and follows (:

Now let's continue with chapter 2.

-SPN-

John startled awake. Just a dream. It was just a dream. He looked at Sam. He was still asleep. John stroked his hair. A door opened and John's heart was racing. He looked at the man. It was the same man as in his dreams. His mouth was dry and he stood up, lifting Sam with him. The boy hardly stirred and continued to sleep.

"How is he?" John asked, the worry palpable in his voice.

"It went great. We are moving him to the ICU to keep a close eye on him. He has broken 3 ribs and cracked another 3. He punctured his lung which caused it to collapse. We've put in a drain and foreboding any problems we'll probably take it out tomorrow. He also has a moderate concussion and we had to put in five stitches. Don't be alarmed by all the tubes and wires. He is heavily sedated. Normally it's not even recommended for sedating patients with a head injury but due to his injuries we believe it's better to keep him sedated. His back is quite bruised and we believe that he bruised his kidney's as well." John's head was spinning. The injuries sounded so bad. John had trouble finding his voice.

"Eh, what, euh, is the prognosis?" John asked.

"We believe that he'll make a full recovery. Of course those ribs will take time to heal properly. So will his head but we will talk you through it when he wakes up. We are monitoring his kidney's closely." John nodded and followed the doctor. He audibly gasped at the sound of Dean lying in the hospital bed. A big tube stuffed down his throat, another snaking out from under the sheet and one coming from the bandage around his torso. He also had a bandage around his head. He had an IV in his right hand. John could feel the tears welling up. He had failed his son. As if feeling his father's worry Sam tightened his grip on his father and snuggled closer.

The doctor pulled up a chair and led John to it.

"It looks worse than it is. He's a strong kid." The doctor said.

-SPN-

The first day went by in a haze. Dean was still sedated and they decided to leave the drain in a bit longer. Sam was restless and didn't understand why Dean wouldn't wake up. John tried to keep his spirit up for Sam.  
When Sam saw Dean for the first time he cried. The kid wouldn't stop crying and after that John had a hard time getting him away from his big brother. John wasn't faring any better. He was exhausted but afraid to sleep. Afraid what might happen if he didn't watch his son. They had placed a small cot in the room but John didn't use it. He did put Sam on it after he fell asleep.

"Mr. Winchester?" John looked up and saw the police officer from that same night.

"Yes?" John stood up.

"I don't know if you remember me but I was one of the officers who was first on the scene." John nodded.

"I just wanted to know how your son was doing?" The officer asked.

"He, he is hanging in there." John said.

"Well, we just wanted to let you know that the guy who attacked him was a serial killer. Preying on young children. He was a member of the carnival. He killed five other boys across three states. You have one brave son, sir. The DA won't press any charges." The officer said.

"Thank you officer...?" John looked at the officer and couldn't remember his name.

"I'm officer Rocky Keats." The officer introduced himself.

"Thank you officer Keats." John said as he shook his hand.

Sam was lying on the cot. He woke up when the police officer entered the room. He didn't understand much of the conversation but he heard the word carnival. Was Dean hurt because they went to the carnival? Sam closed his eyes and wished that Dean would wake up. He didn't want Dean to be hurt. And he would never go to another carnival for as long as he lives.

-SPN-

The second day wasn't much better. They did remove the drain but they still kept Dean sedated. Everything looked fine and John wondered why they didn't ease Dean of the sedatives. When a nurse came in to check on him he asked her.

"Why is he still sedated?" John asked nurse Nancy. Sam was sitting on the bed just looking at his brother.

"I can't answer that but I can go and get the doctor for you?" Nancy said. John nodded. He looked at Sam and had noticed that there was something different about him. He was sad and there was something else. John had no idea what that was. He kept his eye trained on Dean. He had not moved an inch since he had woken up. John didn't know what to do. He had never seen Sam like this before. He sat down next to him and patted his head and pulled him closer.  
Sam tried to move away from his father's touch. He didn't deserve it. It was his fault that Dean was hurt. And Sam started to cry again.

"What's wrong, Sammy?" John asked.

"It's my fault." Sam stuttered.

"No Sammy it's not your fault." John wondered where that came from.

"But I wanted to go to the carnival." And that's where it clicked.

"Sammy listen to me, what happened to Dean is not your fault. It was a bad man." John knew he had to lie for Sam's sake but also for Dean's sake.

"But...but I." Sammy stuttered and John pulled him closer. He had no idea how to fix it. It wasn't a ghost or poltergeist. He couldn't just burn and salt it. He hoped that Dean would wake up soon. He was to only one who could fix it.

"Shh Sammy. It's going to be alright. I promise you." John whispered. They sat like that until the doctor arrived. Sammy had finally dozed off again.

"Mr. Winchester, you wanted to see me?" The doctor entered the room. John looked at Sam. He gently laid him down on the cot and covered him with the blanket.

"Why is Dean still sedated?" John asked.

"Well, that's because of the minor swelling in his brain." John felt all the color leaving his face.

"Sw..swelling?" John croaked out.

"It sounds worse than it is. We are administering drugs to keep the swelling down. We don't think there'll be any problems. It's minor swelling and it should clear up with the medicine we've given him."

"But."

"I understand that you are worried about your son but I can assure that he's improving just not as fast as we'd like him to. You are exhausted. You need to rest because Dean is going to need you when he wakes up. Just like your other son needs you. You need to take care of yourself." John sighed and rubbed his face.

"I just want him to wake up." John whispered. All the weight of all those years without Mary were weighing heavy on him. This was not what he wanted for his sons.

"Please get some rest. I will come by in two hours and I will give you an extended update on your son's condition. Okay?" The doctor looked at John.

John nodded and laid down next to Sam. Just for a minute. John thought as he closed his eyes.

-SPN-

Don't forget to press the review button. Again not a deathfic and I promise you Dean is going to wake up next chapter. And some very minor SamWhump and some JohnWhump


	3. Chapter 3

I am really baffled by the reviews. You guys make me want to update this story. Sorry if I haven't replied to everyone yet, but I figured you guys rather have a new chapter than me thanking you for reading. But I do appreciate you reviewing this story.

So keep pressing that review button I love it just as much as Dean loves pie :D

-SPN-

It wasn't a reviving sleep but a nightmarish sleep. He kept dreaming about Mary and Dean, both dead. Both blaming him and Sammy. Poor Sammy blamed him the most. He kept hearing "you promised" over and over again. He woke to the touch of a hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes. Sammy's hand was on his face. That pudgy hand was comforting him, in his sleep. He wiped the tears from his face and kissed Sam's hand. He extricated himself from Sam. He walked to Dean's side. He stroked his hair.

"You have to wake up, kiddo. I can't do this without you. We need you. Sam needs you. I need you." John murmured. John could hear Sam tossing and turning. Sam was close to waking up.

"Daddy?" On schedule John thought. He turned towards the bed. Sam was sitting on the bed with his hair tousled and looking sleepy. John walked to Sam and lifted him from the bed.

"Is Dean awake?" John shook his head.

"Not yet buddy. But soon." John said. Sam nodded. His stomach growled.

"Are you hungry?" Sam nodded. "What do you want to eat?" John asked.

"Pizza?" Sam asked.

"Sure kiddo." John looked at his watch. He had slept for two hours. The doctor walked in.

"How was your nap?" He asked.

"A necessary evil." John replied. The doctor chuckled.

"Alright, we took Dean for another scan." John stood there with a very confused expression on his face. "You were asleep. We figured it would be the best time. So we took a look at his scan." The doctor smiled. "The swelling is going down so we are going to wean him of the sedatives. However, we are going to leave him on the respirator for now." John didn't know what to say. He just stared at the doctor.

"We think it'll take 4 to 6 hours for Dean to wake up. Go home, get some rest, a proper meal and clean clothes." John smiled weakly at the doctor. Ever since Dean was brought in neither John nor Sam had had a shower.

"Are you saying I smell bad?" John asked the doctor.

"Let's just say that you won't be winning the award for best smelling father." John ran a hand through his beard and agreed. His beard was longer than usual and he looked at Sam. His hair looking greasy and sticking to his head. John nodded.

"Fine we'll be back in a couple of hours." The doctor rolled his eyes.

"We'll keep an eye on Dean. If anything changes, we'll call you." John walked to Sam.

"Is Dean awake?"

"Not yet little man. But he will be in a few hours. Come on, we are going to get changed and then we'll come back here." Sam vigorously shook his head.

"Dean will be all alone." Sam said.

"The nurses are keeping a close eye on Dean. You don't want Dean to see you like this. Still in PJ's and unwashed?" Sam bit his lip and shook his head. John lifted Sam and they walked downstairs. He didn't have a car. Shit. He looked at the front desk. There was an elderly woman sitting there. She was on the phone. John walked over and set Sam on the counter. She just stared at Sam. She mumbled something in the phone and hung up.

"Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could call me a cab?" John asked.

"No need, Mabel. I'll take Mr. Winchester to the motel." John heard someone say. He turned around and saw officer Keats standing there.

"Officer, we can take a cab. It's no problem."

"Nonsense, I can take you and your son back to the motel." John finally agreed. He lifted Sam from the counter and walked to the officer's car.

"I hope you don't mind riding in the back. We are not supposed to have civilians in the front." There was something funny about the officer. John thought he saw the eyes flare but John wasn't sure if it was the sleep deprivation or that there really was something going on with the man. Yet his skin tingled.

"You know what we'll take a cab." John said.

"Get in the car John Winchester." He looked at the officer. There was something very wrong here.

"I mean it. Get in." John did what the officer asked. He only had his knife on him but he didn't know what the man wanted and he didn't want to put Sam in more danger.

"Where are you taking us?" John asked.

"You'll see." The officer said. He glanced in the rear view mirror.

"Don't worry Samuel. We'll take good care of you." Sam just stared with those big green eyes, filled with tears.

"I want Dean." Sam said. John rubbed his back soothingly.

"What do you want?" John asked.

"We want Samuel." The officer said.

"You're not getting my son. Not without a fight." Rocky laughed.

"You are no match for us, John."

"So what are you? A shifter?" Rocky laughed.

"How did you know?" Rocky asked.

"Your eyes changed." John said. Remembering the flaring of the eyes in the hospital.

"Very impressive." Rocky smiled. John cursed himself for not listening to his instincts. John looked around and knew that he was screwed. There was no way out of the car and no way to stop this monster. Sam clung to him, every now and then he would grip tighter and surprised John with the strength in his arms.

"Sammy, I need you to listen to me." Sam looked at John, tears glistening.

"I need you to sit next to me. I need you to wear the seatbelt and keep your arms crossed, like when you're in a roller-coaster. And close your eyes till I say you can open them." Sam nodded and John quickly slid the seatbelt over Sam's body and fastened it. John figured he might as well use the knife to distract him. John pulled out his knife and plunged it in the officer's neck.

"Aaah." Cried the shape shifter. He lost control of the car and the car swerved dangerously to the left. John tried again, this time only nicking the neck and the shifter lost complete control of the car. It veered of the road, hit a rock and tilted to the side. It flipped over and rolled three more times before it came to rest upside down.

-SPN-

John's head was pounding and he forced his eyes open.

"Sa-m." John forced out. His head was spinning, vision swimming in and out. He heard a faint sob.

"Sammy?" John croaked out harder this time. He tried to move but he was lying with his head on the roof. He tried to move his head ignoring the pain that shot up in his chest and head. He saw Sam. He was awkwardly hanging upside down with his arms crossed. As far as John could see there was no blood on Sam's face but they weren't out of the woods yet. John kicked the rear window as hard as he could. Of course the window wouldn't completely shatter when he kicked it the first time but five (or more) tries later the window finally budged and John quickly cut Sam from his hanging prison and crawled out. The shape shifter had yet to move and John said a quick prayer. When he and Sam got out of the car he looked at his son. Checking him for injuries. Sam did have a few bruises. The largest one being from where the seatbelt did its job and protected Sam from being tossed around when it flipped. But John wasn't stupid. He knew that he needed someone to really check his youngest. Sam had launched himself in John's arms again. Not talking just small sobs and whimpers. No matter how many times John asked him something. John was afraid that Sam was going into shock. He walked to the side of the road. Looking behind him, he saw that the shape shifter was conscious again and was trying to get out of the car. John was helpless. He didn't have a gun with silver bullets, only a knife. A knife made of steel. He cursed himself for not having his gun on him. He cursed that psycho for attacking his oldest. He cursed that so called god for letting all of this happen to his family. He was walking on the side of the road when a car stopped next to him.

John looked at the occupants of the car. A couple with their son.

"Sir, can we help you?" The lady asked.

"We need to get to the hospital. We had an accident." John said.

"Of course. Was it just the two of you?" Her husband asked him.

"Yes, I blew out a tire and lost control of the car." John sat in the backseat looking at the young blond boy gaping at him.

"My name is Linda. This is my husband Roger and the little fella in the back is Gordy." John nodded.

"My name is John and this is Sam." John arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later. Roger made good time and he thanked the young couple before getting out of the car. He nearly bumped into doctor Kingley, one of the neurologists.

"Mr. Winchester, what happened?" Lenny quickly took Sam from John as John's knees buckled and he had trouble staying upright. He was losing his battle with consciousness.

"Accident." Was all John managed to get out before he passed out. Lenny was too late catching the young father and immediately called for help. Another nurse came and took Sam from him.

Sam was still in a shocked daze, unaware of all the people around him. He didn't cry when they put in an IV. He never made a sound as they prodded and poked at his bruises. No sir. It wasn't until hours after the accident that the young boy decided to join the real world again.

-SPN-

I hope you guys like this chapter. Like I said before minor hurt!Sam and hurt!John. Ooh and next chapter we'll see another familiar face. Can you guess who? Though it shouldn't be too hard.

Press the review button...you know you want to (:


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry that you guys had to wait for the next chapter. RL got in the way. I'm still baffled by all the reviews and followers this story has gotten. I hope you like this chapter.

-SPN-

Sam woke up startled and immediately started wailing. Nurse Nancy came in and tried to soothe him but it was no use. Sam started screaming for his brother and father. Nancy had no idea what to do. She couldn't touch the boy without him screaming louder. A deep voice from behind him finally got him to settle down. He was still very much upset. Tears were still rolling down his cheek and the hiccups indicated that he was far from calm yet he looked hopeful behind her and she knew that if it wasn't for the IV in his arm, he would've jumped out of the bed.

-SPN-

Sam had the scariest dream ever. He dreamt that the car crash killed his father and that Dean would never wake up. He just saw the evil police officer make his way towards Sammy and Sam was terrified.  
That's how he woke up and then he couldn't find his daddy or Dean and Sam lost it. The nice nurse tried to calm him down but he wanted Dean and daddy. And then he heard it. His dad's voice coming from behind nurse Nancy.

"Sammy, calm down." John said as he walked in the room. He was limping and his head was bandaged. Sam just stared at his father. The occasional hiccups and hitches in his breathing gave away the boy's anxiety level. John sat on the edge of the bed and Sam buried himself in John's arms. John winced from the pain but reveled in the feeling of holding his youngest again.

"Can I see Dean now?" Sam asked through the hiccups. John smiled.

"Sure kiddo." John said as he looked at nurse Nancy. She nodded her approval and took out the IV.

"Ow." Sammy yelped but didn't cry although he did have tears in his eyes but they never fell. Nancy walked away and came back with a wheelchair. His dad was keeping him close to this chest.

"It's okay. He doesn't need a wheelchair." John said. Nancy smirked.

"The wheelchair is for you Mr. Winchester. You are injured and need to stay of your feet. So hop on in and I will take you to Dean." John sighed. There was no way in hell, she would ever let him walk out of Sam's room so dejectedly he sat down in the wheelchair. She wheeled them to Dean's room and parked him next to the bed. Sam immediately climbed on Dean's bed.

"Press the button if you need anything." John nodded and thanked her before turning his attention on his kids. He had been waiting by Dean's side since they patched him up. John had been unconscious for a while and after receiving some pain medication he slept till the next morning. They didn't want to put Sam in the same room because of Dean's condition. John was torn. He wanted to be with Sam but he also wanted to be Dean. In the end, Nancy had promised to keep an eye on Sam and that was the only reason why he was waiting by Dean's side, waiting for him to wake up. It was the right decision because no more than five minutes later Dean had opened his eyes. No more than five seconds but those five seconds felt like the world to John. He made sure that they kept him informed about Sam but in the end it wasn't necessary, because Sam had definitely made it known that he was awake again. He had been worried about Sam, especially when his son wasn't reacting to anyone. John had been terrified but they said that there was nothing physically wrong with him. Except for the bruises. They said that it was just shock and they ended up giving him a sedative to help him sleep.. John looked at his boys. Sam was intensely staring at Dean, almost willing him to wake up with the power of his mind.  
He could hear footsteps in the hallway, immediately tensed and reached for the knife. Somehow he knew it wasn't hospital staff. He kept his eyes on the door opening and was relieved to see that it was Bobby.

"Bobby?"

"How are ye doing?" Bobby asked him.

"I've been better. What are you doing here?" He looked at the bag that Bobby carried with him.

"Ye called me. Babbling about a shifter and Dean in the hospital. You told me where you were staying and the next thing I know someone is telling me that you passed out 'cause you were in a car accident. I went to your motel and took out all the stuff. It's in my trunk. These are fresh clothes and a few accessories." John stared at Bobby, unable to process what Bobby told him.

"I don't remember calling you. But thanks Bobby." John said. John was scratching his head. The last thing he remembers was arriving at the hospital. He frowned not sure if he believed it.

"You got silver?" Bobby asked. John shook his head.

"Not on me. But I do have a few things in the duffel." Bobby handed John the bag and John immediately pulled out the silver knife. "You know the drill, Bobby."

"Come on, John. It's me."

"I can't take any chances, not with my boys." Bobby nodded and rolled up his sleeve.

"Fine, give me the damn knife." Bobby took the knife and held it against his skin.

"Bobby."

"Fine." Bobby cut himself and John was relieved that Bobby was Bobby.

Sam had heard a familiar voice but he was focusing on his brother. There were a few things different. Dean was no longer sporting the tube shoved down his throat nor did he have a tube coming from his side. Sam was watching his brother like a hawk. And then he saw it. The fluttering of the eyelids. Just like Dean always did before he woke up. Sam leaned even closer. He was so close that his nose nearly touched Dean's cheek.

"Do you mind keeping an eye on Sam while I slip on something more humane." John said and Bobby laughed at the joke and nodded to John. He was looking at Sam and decided to see if he could get a reaction from the boy.

"Hiya Sam, how are you feeling?" Bobby asked Sam but Sam didn't acknowledge Bobby. He was staring at his brother, willing him to open his eyes. Sam lifted his hand and touched Dean's cheek with his index finger.

Dean turned his head to Sam's face and struggled to open his eyes. When he opened his eyes he looked straight into Sam's worried hazel eyes.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was quiet and nothing more than a whisper.

Dean was looking at Sam and had trouble coming up with an explanation as to why he was feeling so crappy. Then he noticed the bruise on Sam's face. His heart was racing. Sammy got hurt?

"Y'ok?" It was a hoarse whisper and Dean furrowed his brow when hearing his own voice. What the hell happened?  
Bobby saw everything and wasn't surprised that Dean was more concerned about his little brother.

Sam smiled at him and if he didn't know better he'd say that Sammy was close to crying. Dean turned his head and saw Bobby standing there. That struck Dean as odd. Where was dad?

"How are you feeling, kid?" Bobby asked him.

"Da'd?" Dean sounded so weak and Bobby actually winced at the sound of his voice. He poured Dean a cup of water and pressed the call button. John walked in, dressed in his normal clothes, limping and still sporting the bandage around his head.

"Dad." John thought that he would die right there and then. He made his way over to the bed.

"Hey kiddo, good to see you awake. You gave us quite a scare. How are you feeling?" And Dean actually had to think quite long and hard about that question. How was he feeling? He could feel a twinge of discomfort but he wasn't feeling any pain. Maybe that was the reason why his dad was asking him. He tried to grab the cup but his arm was heavy and he had trouble getting the damn limb to cooperate. Sam was still watching Dean and how many times had it been the other way around? Sam grabbed the cup and guided it to Dean's mouth. Dean took a sip, happy for the cooling effect on his tender and sore throat. After one sip he shook his head. He looked at his dad. Looking for answers and noticed that his father was injured as well.

"Dad?" John knew what Dean was asking but John couldn't tell him. Not yet anyway. The doctor came in.

"Good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" Seems like everyone was asking that question and Dean still had no answer. The doctor took out his penlight and gave Dean a thorough examination.

"How is your head feeling?" The doctor finally asked.

"Fine." Dean answered.

"Dean." Came John's warning tone. He knew Dean had a knack of playing down all injuries.

"Really dad. I don't feel much of anything." Dean said honestly.

"Hmm, maybe we should dial back on the pain medication." The doctor moved to Dean's feet. He grabbed Dean's big toe. "Can you feel that?" Dean nodded. The doctor did the same with his other foot and then moved to his arms. His left arm was fine but his right arm felt extremely heavy.

"We are going to schedule you for another scan. Just take it easy and plenty of rest. Same thing goes for you Mr. Winchester. You are also suffering from a concussion not to mention the bruising to your leg and abdomen." John rolled his eyes at the doctor.

"Sure thing, doc." The doctor motioned for John to follow him. Dean yawned. He was pretty tired but Sam's expression told Dean how serious things were and he wanted to make it right for Sam. He didn't want Sam to worry about him. He put his arm on Sam's head and kept his eyes open but his dad saw him yawn and struggle.

"Sleep Dean. It's okay." But Dean looked at Sam. "We're not going anywhere." John added. Dean's eyes closed on their own accord.

"M fine, Sammy." Dean whispered as sleep claimed him. Sam decided to lay down next to Dean. He was facing Dean and his nose was almost touching Dean's. John smiled when he saw Sam fall asleep as well.

-SPN-

I'll try to update as soon as I can. You guys rock!

And again, leave reviews. I love them as much as Dean loves pie ;)


	5. Chapter 5

You guys really know how to make someone happy! Thank you for all the review, follows and favorites :D and sorry that I didn't take the time to reply to anyone who's been kind enough to leave a review.

And yes you guys were right it was Bobby, who else could it have been (:

So let's continue the story and see what John and Bobby are going to do about the shifter.

-SPN-

The doctor left the room and motioned for John to follow him. Bobby followed John and the doctor.

"So what's going on?" John asked.

"Well I can't explain the loss of feeling in his right arm. It could be from the swelling but a scan should tell us more." John ran a hand over his face. When was this nightmare over?

"We'll know more later today. I should be able to squeeze him in for the scan." John nodded and the doctor walked away.

"What the hell happened, John?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know anymore. Four days ago someone showed up in the kids' bedroom. Dean was fighting him and he flung him across the room. I shot him. But Dean...he had trouble breathing. He was bleeding from his head. Bobby, I didn't know what to do. He was turning blue when the police showed up. They took him to the hospital. Kept him sedated for three days. He had minor swelling in the brain. Broke his ribs, one punctured his lung. One officer showed up in the hospital. Came to ask how Dean was doing. Told me that the guy I shot murdered five kids, across three states. All of Sam's age and told me that they closed the case. They wouldn't be pressing any charges.  
Yesterday, the doctor kind of ordered me to go home. So Sam and I were just about to leave the hospital when the officer showed up and offered to take us back to the motel. It wasn't until I got in that I noticed something was wrong. A fucking shifter, Bobby. He wanted Sam. And because of me he almost succeeded."

"What did ye do and why was he after Sam?"

"I had no weapons except for my knife. So I stabbed him in the neck. He lost control of the car and we flipped a couple of times. I shagged ass to the hospital. I passed out, woke up and kept a close eye on my sons."

"Did he come back?"

"No, but I am going to hunt him down and kill him." John vowed. Bobby nodded.

"I'm here to help but what are you going to do about the boys?" Bobby asked John.

"I was hoping you could take them to Jim." John said as he looked at Bobby.

"John, I am not letting you hunt that thing alone. Ain't no way in hell. Idjit." John sighed. He never expected Bobby to just accept whatever plan he had so this didn't come as a surprise.

"Bobby."

"John." He looked at Bobby.

"Fine." John said exasperated.

"Let's just wait for Dean's scan to come back. After that we'll come up with a plan." Bobby said. John wanted to say something else but from the corner of his eyes he could see nurse Nancy approach him.

"Mr. Winchester, I have Sam's discharge papers." John smiled.

"Thank you Nancy. This is Bobby, a good friend of mine." John introduced Bobby.

"Pleasure to meet you. If you need anything you know where to find me." Nancy said as she walked away.

"I'm going to give Sam a bath and after that maybe you could get him something to eat." John said. Bobby nodded and they walked back inside Dean's room. Both boys were asleep. Sam lying next Dean. Dean had his arm around his little brother and John felt nothing but pride and love for his boys. He stroked Dean's hair and carefully lifted Sam from his brother's grasp. Dean continued to sleep but Sam woke up.

"Shhh, you're okay. I figured we'd get you all fresh and clean." John spoke quietly and it worked. Sam just nodded. Ten minutes later John came out with a clean Sam. His hair was still wet but he refused to stay in the bathroom any longer than necessary. So John reluctantly agreed. Sam practically ran back to Dean's side. John followed him around with the towel, trying to dry his hair.

"Sammy, how 'bout you and uncle Bobby go get something to eat." Sam looked like he was going to cry and John hated it.

"Can I get something for Dean too?" Sam asked.

"Of course kiddo. Maybe you could bring Dean a chocolate milkshake?" At first Sam bit his lip and looked at Dean. Then he slowly nodded. He hadn't said much since this whole ordeal had started and though it worried it John but he knew that things would get better once Dean was out of the hospital. John trusted Bobby to keep Sam safe. He didn't have many friends but he could always count on Bobby. He knew that the shape shifter was still out there somewhere with no way of tracking it. He glanced down the hallway and saw Bobby and Sam standing in front of the elevator. From the corner of his eyes he saw someone lurking in the shadows. It was one of the orderlies. Fucker. It went exactly like they had planned. John watched the orderly get in the elevator with Bobby and Sam. He waited a few seconds before pulling the fire alarm. The alarm caused the elevators to shut down for a few minutes. John knew that they wouldn't give up on chasing Sam. He knew why they were after him but he would give his life to protect his son. Bobby and him came to the same conclusion. They needed bait. They needed Sam and John would've never done that but it wasn't like he could just pack up and get the hell out of here. Not with Dean being so hurt. Both he and Bobby agreed that this was the only way.

"Dad?" Dean had been woken up by the fire alarm and was watching his father. His dad was in hunter mode. Dean could always tell. It was the way his dad was standing. Straight, focused and something else, that Dean never could name.

John looked at Dean.

"Hey kiddo, they're going to move you in a minute." John said although he kept watching at the elevator.

"Where's Sam?" Dean was looking around the room.

"Sam's with Bobby. They went to get a bite to eat." John said casually.

"Dad?" Busted John thought. Dean knew he was lying. John raised him well. Despite their current situation John couldn't help the feeling of pride swelling.

"It's okay Dean." John said.

"So what are you hunting?" Dean asked nonchalant.

"A shifter." The words were out of his mouth before he realized it. John looked at Dean, who had this smug smile on his face. John cursed himself. Damn kid.

"Who is it?" Dean asked.

"One of the orderlies." He couldn't tell Dean that is was after Sam.

"Is that why you send Sammy with uncle Bobby?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Lucky for John they came in to evacuate Dean.

"Hi Dean, we are going to move you until the fire department gives the all clear." One of the nurses, John couldn't remember her name, said.

"Where's your brother?" The other nurse asked. John handed her the hoodie. She disconnected the IV's and helped Dean put on the hoodie. Dean winced and groaned. His ribs were hurting and that was just from putting on the hoodie.

"He went to get something to eat with his uncle." John answered. "It's not healthy for a kid to be cooped up in the hospital 24/7."

"Well, he was worried about his big brother." The nurse said as she and John helped into the chair.

John smiled at that. That was certainly true. Sam had been really worried about Dean. He looked at his oldest and wasn't happy with what he saw. Dean was pale and had his face was scrunched. He gently stroked Dean's hair and Dean somewhat relaxed.

-SPN-

Bobby was in the elevator with Sam and right before the doors closed an orderly stepped in. Bobby's hairs were tingling. He pulled Sam behind him and gripped his gun tighter. Looks like their plan worked but now here he was with a six-year-old boy and a shifter. How the hell did he get here? He prayed to God that John was right about Sam. John had given Sam Dean's Walkman.

 _John went through the bags and spotted Dean's walkman, he continued his search and finally found Sam's toothbrush and clothes. He reminded himself to thank Bobby for bringing the bags._

 _"There's no other is there, Bobby?"_

 _"No, not with so little time."_

 _"Tell me I'm doing the right thing. Tell me that this is the only way." John said._

 _"It's the only way, John." Bobby was just as worried as John but they knew that there wasn't any other way. This needed to be dealt with._

 _"We'll give him the walkman." John said remembering the device in Dean's duffle._

The boy was currently listening to whatever tape Dean had in there. Even Bobby could hear the music as it echoed through the elevator. Bobby had put him in the corner and stood in front of him. He was awkwardly holding Sam's little hand.

"Nice day isn't it?" The orderly asked as he looked at Sam. Bobby didn't waste any time and pulled out his silver dollar and threw at the orderly, which he caught. The man yelped and Bobby knew it was a shifter. He pulled the gun and shot twice, both hitting the man in the chest area. The body dropped with a thud that shook the elevator.

-SPN-

John and Dean were outside. Dean was sitting in a wheelchair and John was looking at the hospital. He needed to get back inside without alerting anyone but Dean was looking at him with hawk eyes. Although Dean looked pale and John could see that he was in discomfort. He kneeled in front of Dean.

"Listen kiddo, I need to go back inside." John pulled out a gun and handed it covertly to Dean. Dean looked at the gun, confused.

"Why are you giving me a gun?" Dean asked.

"Because there's a shifter around. It attacked me and Sam. I don't know what it wants but you know what to do right, if it comes after you?"

"Yes sir. Silver bullet to the heart." Dean answered. He was afraid but his dad was counting on him.

"Good boy." John nodded at Dean. Dean hid the gun in his hoodie and John walked to the nurse.

"Hi Nancy, would you mind looking after Dean for a minute?" John asked the nurse.

"Of course not. Is something wrong?" Nancy asked.

"No, it's just that I really need to go to the head." John said with a smile. Nancy smiled.

"You can use the one at the diner." Nancy said. John winked and walked away. He glanced behind him and slipped into the hospital. He slipped into the stairwell and ran up to the third floor. He figured he had about five minutes before the fire department arrived and they would get caught. The hallway was clear of people and John made a dash for the elevator.

"Bobby?"

"Took ye long enough."

"How's Sam?" John asked.

"Getting fidgety. But he hasn't turned around yet." Bobby said.

"Alright. I'm going to open the elevator door. Take the headphones off Sam's ears." Bobby did what John asked him and carefully removed the headphones from Sam's ears.

"Sammy, listen to me I want you to keep your eyes closed. Do you hear me?"

"Why daddy?" Sam asked.

"Because we are playing a game."

"Okay, where's Dean?"

"Dean is waiting for you outside." John opened the elevator doors. The shape shifter was lying on the ground, Sammy was standing in the corner facing the wall and Bobby just looked at him.

"Well princess, are you going to give me a hand or do you want me to just camp out for the night?" Bobby said.

"Hand me Sam. Let me get him out first."

"Alright. Sam I'm going to lift you out of here but you have to keep your eyes closed."

"Yes uncle bobby." Bobby picked Sam up and gave him to John.

"Alright kiddo, let's get you out of here."

"Can I open my eyes now?" Sam asked.

"No not yet." John said as he walked with Sam to the bathroom. "Alright I need you to wait here. Do not come out until I say so. You hear me Sammy?"

"Yes sir." Sam knew that tone of his father. It usually meant something important.

John walked back to the elevator.

"Anytime princess." Bobby barked. John just smiled at Bobby.

"What are you gettin' upset for?"

"I've had enough of these four walls. There isn't much to see, you know. Dead shifter and all. Now help me get out of here before we get caught and have to explain what happened. You idjit."

"You know Bobby, it's always a pleasure working with you. Your sparkling personality is really blinding."

"Up yours John Winchester." John chuckled as he lifted the shifter out of the elevator. He carried him to one of the abandoned gurneys and dumped him on there.

"Hey Bobby, you might want to lay of the burgers." John said as he helped Bobby climb out of the elevator and together they covered the body with sheets.

"Shut up." Bobby said.

John went to fetch Sam and now they had to get out of the hospital unseen. Which was difficult enough with the three of them but add in the body of a person, nearly impossible. So they did what was best in these circumstances and tossed him down the laundry chute. Then they made their way over to the stairwell and they went down, careful not to make a sound. They could hear the firemen talking and they had to make a little detour on the second floor. They could hear the men talking about getting the elevators open. And John's only thought was that they were fucking lucky that they managed to get out of the elevator unseen. They finally managed to get downstairs and now they had to sneak out of the hospital. Bobby saw an emergency exit and Bobby pushed the door slightly ajar. Luckily, there wasn't anyone outside the door and the people that were standing there paid no attention to them. Scared patients were to busy paying attention to themselves. They were just outside when they heard the fire chief talk.

"Yeah, listen there's nothing here. Let's just help get the patients back inside. Someone must've pulled the fire-alarm. I'm giving it the all-clear. The boys said there's nothing to indicate a fire or gas." They walked passed the fire chief and John quickly walked back to where he last saw Dean. His heart stopped when he saw the empty wheelchair.

-SPN-

Another cliffie...*ducking and hiding*

I'm sorry but I couldn't resist.

Leave a review, please and I'll try to upload as soon as I can

Thanks for reading


	6. Chapter 6

"Dean! Dean!" John yelled. People stopped with what they were doing and stared at John. One of the nurses walked up to him.

"Mr. Winchester?" John was looking around trying to spot is son.

"Have you seen my son? I left him with nurse Nancy."

"No, I haven't seen them. Are you sure you left him here?"

"Yes I'm sure." John was scanning the area looking for his son. Please let him be okay. John prayed.

"Daddy?" John turned around and looked into Sam's worried hazel eyes.

"It's okay. Dean went for a walk." John said as he exchanged looks with Bobby. He picked Sam up and scanned the terrain yet again. Then he spotted Dean. He was leaning against the wall. He was partially hidden in the darkness of the alley. John nearly sprinted towards his son. When he got closer he knew something was wrong. Dean was too pale, shaking and sweating. Eyes unfocused.

"Dean." John ran to his son. So did Bobby. When they arrived at Dean's side, John put Sam on the ground.

"Dean." John tried again but it was as if Dean didn't hear him. He was breathing loudly and hugging the wall. John kneeled in front of Dean, hoping to bring him out of this daze.

"Dean, come on dude talk to me. Where's nurse Nancy? Did something happen?"

Bobby glanced behind Dean, into the alley and saw a gun lying on the ground.

"John." Bobby said as he pointed into the alley. John followed Bobby's finger and saw the gun. He locked eyes with Bobby as Bobby went to retrieve it.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Dean?" Sam asked with those big hazel eyes, filled with worry and unshed tears.

"I don't know yet Sammy." And it scared the crap out of John.

"Dean, are you okay?" Sam asked. Dean sluggishly blinked at Sam. His lips curled into this lazy smile.

"Sammy." It was all Dean managed before his eyes rolled back into their sockets and he collapsed. John managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Bobby!" John was bordering hysteria.

"John, I found the nurse." Bobby said.

"Is she alive?" John asked.

"Yeah but she's going to need a doctor." John carried Dean, while Bobby carried Nancy to the first doctor he laid his eyes on. After that both Dean and Nancy were lifted onto a gurney and disappeared into the hospital which had been given the all clear.

-SPN-

John was fuming. Bobby was sitting with Sam, who finally had a sandwich in his hands, in the waiting area while John was pacing. After thirty minutes the doctor came out. John nearly attacked the man.

"How is he?"

"He'll be fine. I couldn't find any damage. But then again I have no idea what happened."

"Neither do I. I just went to use the head next door when I came back I couldn't find him, nor Nancy. I spotted Dean near the alley and that's where we found Nancy. She was unconscious. Do you know how she's doing?"

"She's going to be fine. Just a bump on the head.

"Can I see Dean?" John asked impatiently.

"Yes, he's been asking for you. He's a bit agitated." John nearly rushed in and it wasn't until Dean saw John that he finally calmed down.

"Dad, is Sam okay?" Dean's voice was hoarse. They had hooked Dean up with the nasal cannula. And every time Dean's hand would travel up there only to be swatted away by a nurse.

"Leave it Dean." John finally said. "Sam's okay. He's outside. Do you want me to get him for you?" Dean nodded shyly. John went outside and came back with Sam, who was jumping up and down. As soon as he saw his big brother he made a bolt for it, dropping what was left of the sandwich on the ground. He climbed onto the bed and gave Dean a real Sam hug. Dean let him and Sam stayed with Dean until he fell asleep.

"When can we get out of here?" John asked. He was anxious to get away. Too much has happened and John did not want to spend longer than was needed in this crazy town.

"Well, it looks like he is getting more strength in his arm. I'm thinking it had to do with the swelling in the brain. So I am expecting a full recovery. I'd like to keep him two more days. That way we can keep an eye on his arm and ribs. I think it was because he over-exerted himself and maybe the adrenalin. Although he hasn't said much and Nancy could only talk about another nurse trying to take Dean but she wasn't making much sense. I think it's because of the concussion." John could live with another two nights especially if it meant that Dean would be okay. He looked at Bobby and they moved out to the hallway to talk.

"Thank you doctor."

"No problem. Hopefully you can put this behind you." The doctor said as he walked away.

John and Bobby were standing out in the hallway talking when one of the nurses came by.

"Mr. Winchester, Nancy is looking for you." John looked at Bobby, who nodded and John followed the nurse.

-SPN-

Nancy was sitting in bed. She was skittish and she was fidgeting with the blanket.

"How are you doing?" John asked.

"What did I see?" Nancy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"In the alley. She took Dean and I went after her. When I grabbed her arm, h-her skin came off. Dean shot her and she howled, she **howled** and took off. He called her a shifter. So again what did I see?" Nancy asked.

"A skin walker or shape shifter. They can take on the appearance of anyone. The only way to kill it is a silver bullet to the heart."

"You're telling me that there are things out there that can look like me?"

"There are a lot more things out there that are even scarier." John simply stated.

"Who are you? What are you?"

"I'm a hunter. I hunt things."

"But what about Dean and Sam?"

"Dean knows there are evil things out there. Sam doesn't and we are trying to keep it that way."

"But..." Nancy was at a loss for words. She wanted to say something about how wrong it was for a kid to know these things but she didn't know how.

"I don't expect you to understand. I just want to thank you for keeping an eye on Dean and I'm sorry that you got hurt." John said as he looked at Nancy.

"It's okay. I mean not that I got hurt but I'm sure that if you thought Dean was in danger you wouldn't have left him with me."

"No, I wouldn't." John said honestly.

"Just take care of him. He's a good kid." John just nodded and walked out of the room.

When he got back to Dean's room both of his sons were asleep. Sam wasn't sleeping very peaceful and John didn't want to leave him next to Dean. Because this Sam usually got tangled in the sheets and would wake up pissed as hell. He didn't want to take Sam away from his brother but he thought it would be better if Dean had a good rest. He smiled at his boys and carefully extracted Sam from Dean. The boys slept on and John kept Sam close to him as he sat down on the chair. He fell asleep just like that.

Bobby was looking at his friend. He couldn't imagine what these passed few days must've been like. He figured he might as well get them something to eat.

-SPN-

An hour later Bobby came back with pizza and to his surprise Dean was wide awake and looking at his father and Sam. He had this pensive look on his face. And Bobby's heart sank. He had seen this look before. The look that made him look older than the eleven years old that he is. Dean wasn't a normal kid. Neither was Sam yet Dean was different. Dean was obedient and would do everything to keep Sam and John happy. The kid lived for his family. But this look was showing everything the kid was feeling. Things he couldn't tell his father and Bobby's heart broke. The feeling of failure was evident on the boy's face. He put the pizza on the table as he walked into the room trying to bring the kid from his stupor.

"Hiya Dean. How ye doing?"

"Hi Bobby. I'm fine." His voice was hoarse and he sounded tired.

"Why don't you sleep some more?" Bobby asked Dean.

"I want to get out of here." Dean whispered. He was sick of lying in a hospital bed.

"You'll be out of here before you know it." Bobby said. Dean nodded and a small smile made its way on his face.

"I smell pizza." Dean said as he looked behind Bobby.

"Too bad ye can't have any." Bobby said in his most serious tone. Dean's face fell and Bobby tried hard not to laugh.

"But I want pizza too." The look on Dean's face was too much. So Bobby grinned.

"You can have one slice. Why don't you wake your dad?" Bobby as he winked at Dean.

"Dad." Dean said. John opened his eyes slowly. First looking at Sam and next looking at Dean, surprised to see him awake. Awake and smiling that is.

"Hey dude. How are you feeling?" John asked Dean as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Better. Dying to get out of here. How's Sam?" Dean asked while looking at his little brother/

"Sammy is fine. Just exhausted." John looked closely at his son. He was still a bit pale but other than that he looked fine. But JohnHe was smiling though.

"Bobby brought pizza. He said I could have a slice." Ah, that explains the smile.

"Bobby, I don't think that's wise." John started.

"Nonsense. I talked to the kid's doctor and he said it was fine. He said not to overdo is. So I said one slice and the doc agreed." John looked at Dean who was still smiling, ear to ear.

"Alright one slice." John smiled. Sam started tossing and turning. John stroked Sam's hair. Sam opened his eyes.

"You hungry?" John asked Sam. Sam nodded and Bobby handed him a slice of pizza. Sam smiled.

"Thank you, uncle Bobby." Sam looked at Dean.

"I'm good Sammy. I promise." Dean said.

"Okay. When can we go?" Sam asked.

"If all goes well then they'll release Dean the day after tomorrow."

"Does that mean that Dean is all better?" Sam asked with only an innocence he possessed.

"No, but it means that he is doing really well. He might have headaches and his ribs are also still healing. So we have to be careful."

"I'm not made of glass." Dean said with his mouth full of pizza.

"Dean, manners." Dean smiled sheepishly.

"Your dad's right. Those headaches can be a drag. And with those healing ribs you might want to take it easy." The doctor said to Dean as he walked in the room.

"Oh come on doc. I'll be fine once I get out of here." Dean said.

"Unfortunately Dean, these type of injuries often have after effects that can last for months. Our initial advice would be half school days to start with. I'd also like to refer you to our lung specialist. I've noticed that you tend to keep your breathing fairly shallow. And I know it hurts but you need to breathe normal." John looked at Dean and shook his head. His son was already quite skillful in masking his emotions and feelings and it was already making John's life more difficult than it was.

"Dean?" John said.

"It hurts. And I just want to get out of here." Dean admitted.

"Dean, if you don't breathe normally you can end up with a pneumonia. And right now that is not something your body could handle very well." The doctor explained.

"So before you get released we'll make an appointment with the lung specialist and see what we're looking at." Dean rolled his eyes.

-SPN-

I love Weechester fics with nice John and I almost don't want this to end but like Chuck said; Endings are hard.

The only thing left is the epilogue. I really liked doing this story and I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Ps: I hope my portrayal of the boys wasn't too OOC.


	7. Epilogue

**Omg, omg, I am so sorry. I meant to post this sooner but RL got in the way. Thank you all for your wonderful support. You really rock \m/**

Epilogue

The day after Dean was released without any problems. The lung specialist gave Dean a few exercises and John the instruction to make sure that he does them twice a day. John already named Sammy his XO so there was no escaping for Dean. Bobby told John that they could hang out with him for a few days and John gladly accepted. Dean loved hanging around the old cars. Sometimes John would find him sitting in a piece of junk, miles away in his own little world. And when he would sense that someone was around he would put on his trademark smile and pretend that he's okay. And no matter how many times John tried Dean would never tell him what he was thinking about which always led John to assume that he was thinking about Mary. He glanced at Dean, who was sitting beside him, and was happy that he was asleep. He finally had some of his color back. He stroked his hair and Dean let out a sigh. Sam was also asleep in the backseat of the car. It had been an awful week and John was happy that they could finally move on.

-SPN-

John went after the second shifter a couple of days after they settled at Bobby's. It was stupid enough to hang around the hospital. Though John was pissed as hell, he still managed to tamper down on his anger. Bobby would've been proud of him. John tailed the shifter back to its hide out. Its latest victim was luckily still alive. He waited till the shifter left again before he got her out, without traumatizing her even more. John told her a little about happened to her but she was too hysterical so John led her outside and called her an ambulance. He waited till the shifter returned and John let his anger out. Everything that had happened from the moment that serial killer showed up in the kids' bedroom till the day Dean got out of the hospital. John asked why they were after them and the only thing it said was that Sam was special. And no matter what John tried, that was the only thing the shifter said. It also said that they would never be safe. John put a knife through its heart. He burned the body and anything that could tie him to that place. He also found the bodies of the police officer, probably the lady who tried to grab Dean and another nurse. John called the police and booked it back to the salvage yard. He could only think about his boys. He made it back to Sioux Falls at around 10 am. He thought that the boys would still be asleep, well at least Dean. He chuckled. Sam would be chatting the ears of off Bobby. No doubt about it. He hoped that Dean felt a bit better. He still tired easily and those ribs were still bothering him. At least his breathing was better, thanks to Sam and the exercises. John chuckled again. Sam was enjoying it a bit too much. It wasn't often that Sam got to boss Dean around. John pulled up the house and got out. He was greeted by one of the mutts, that Bobby had walking around. Sam called the mutt puppy but it was by no means a pup anymore, if it ever was a puppy.

"Down boy." John said as he petted the dog on the head. He went inside and expected to find Bobby and Sam in the kitchen. Except there was no one in the kitchen and when he went upstairs the rooms were empty. For a moment he thought something had happened and then he heard something in the yard and figured that they would be there.  
He found the boys outside in a '62 Starfire. Dean behind the wheel and Sam next to him. Bobby was working on a car and every now and then he would glance at the boys. John was happy that Bobby was around. He trusted Bobby with his life. He spotted John and called the boys.

Dean and Sam were sitting in an old car. Bobby said there was nothing left to salvage so now it was just sitting there. Dean always sat in this particular car. There was no reason why. Sam was sitting next to him and they were pretending to be on the road. He loved this. Being at Bobby's and not having to worry about whatever monster his father was hunting. That was what Dean loved the most, just having his dad around. Almost like old times. Almost. Dean looked at his little brother. Sam was pretending to drive. His hands around an imaginary wheel.

"Boys." Bobby called out. Dean looked at Sam.

"Come on, Sammy." Dean said to his little brother. Sam hopped out of the car and ran to Bobby. Dean wasn't that quick. Courtesy of his broken ribs. He slowly got out of the car. Wincing and groaning when he did.

John was watching his boys. He was a little worried when he watched Dean climb out of the car. Dean was definitely in pain, those ribs still hurting. But he was watching Sammy like a hawk.

"Careful Sammy." Dean called out after his brother. Sam stopped to watch his brother and then he spotted his dad.

"Daddy." Sam immediately made a bolt for John. John spread his arms and caught his little boy.

"Hey Sammy, where you good for uncle Bobby?"

"Yes daddy. I helped make breakfast." Sam said.

"Really? What did you make?" Though he had an idea what they had for breakfast.

"We made pancakes. Because it's Dean's favorite." John smiled at that. Leave it to Bobby to spoil the boys.

"And did he love them?" He asked while looking for his oldest, who was slowly walking towards them.

"Uh-huh, he ate two whole stacks of them." John laughed at that. He saw Dean pause and lean against one of the cars. His heart constricted and he wanted to kill the bastard again. He wanted nothing more than to rush to his aid but also knew that Dean wouldn't allow it. Because the moment Dean saw John looking he straightened and put on his brave face and smiled at his dad.

"Hey dude, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine dad, really. Sam made me do those exercises and Bobby watched."

"Just checking. I don't want to see you end up in the hospital again." John said and Dean looked at his father.

"I'm not lying dad. I feel fine. They only hurt sometimes, when I've been sitting too long."

"What 'bout your lungs?"

"I just told you, dad. I do the exercises and it's fine." John knew Dean was lying but he didn't want to argue with him. They usually ended with Dean getting a migraine and be out for the rest of the day. He blew out his breath and looked at Bobby, who was wiping his hands on an old rag.

"How'd go?"

"It's done." John simply stated. Bobby nodded and John gave him the we'll-talk-about-it-later look.

"Sam helped make breakfast today. Dean did his exercises."

"Dean, why don't you take Sam inside?"

"Can't we stay outside, dad?"

"Sure, dude. Just don't go too far." John warned them as he put Sam down.

"Yes sir. Come on Sammy, I saw a few beetles over there."

"Can we catch them Dean?" Sam asked as he walked beside his brother.

"Maybe." John watched the boys walk away.

"How's he really doing, Bobby?"

"Those lungs are really bothering him. He had to stop halfway the stairs to catch his breath. He did do his exercises but his body is still weak."

"Damn Bobby, when is this nightmare finally over?" John asked.

"Hang in there, John. Dean is on the mend. The kid needs to take it easy for a while but after that he'll be good as new."

"Not the point, Bobby. This never should've happened. This is why I tell Dean to lock the doors and stay inside."

"Don't you dare blame Dean for this."

"If he'd just stayed inside like I ordered him too." John was cut off by Bobby.

"He's not a soldier. He wanted to do something nice for his little brother. And where the hell were you when someone entered their bedroom?"

"What the fuck did you just say?" John said dangerously low.

"You're supposed to watch out for them."

"What the fuck, Singer?" John was facing Bobby.

"Don't you dare blame that boy for your short comings. He's the one who has to act like an adult for his six-year old brother. The kid is ten. He is not a grown up. You forced him to act like an adult all the time but he's not John." Bobby hoped that he could talk some sense into his friend but from the look of things it was all going sideways. Balls!

John contemplated Bobby's words. He knew the man had a point but he just didn't know how hard it was to raise two boys and always having to be aware of what is lurking in the shadows.

"We'll leave tomorrow." John said.

"Dammit John, you let that boy heal up here. Give him at least that." John nodded and went inside.

-SPN-

Dean had been watching his father and Bobby and he knew that something was up. He sighed. He was afraid that they would be moving on again. Truth was, he didn't want to leave. He loved being at Bobby's. It was the closest thing he had to a home.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm Batman, remember." Dean said with a wink. Sam laughed. Dean ruffled his hair.

"De-ean, stop it and I thought I was Batman." Sam said as he tried to squirm from under his brother's grip.

"Come on, squirt. Well, you weren't such a good Batman, were you?" Dean said hinting on the fact that Sam broke his arm.

"Not a squirt. But you jumped too."

"Okay, dork. But Superman can fly and Batman can't." Dean pointed out

"You're a geek." Sam said. A word he picked up at the playground.

"I'm not."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh." They continued their banter inside, where John had to tell them to shut up and go outside again.

"But I'm hungry, daddy." John rolled his eyes.

"Dean, fix your brother a sandwich." John told his oldest.

"Yes sir." Dean replied and went to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the peanut butter was in one of the cupboards and Dean couldn't extend his arm without hurting himself. Yet he was too proud to ask for help and when he reached for the jar he doubled over in pain.

"Gah." Damn that hurt. His breathing sped up which led to more pain and soon Dean was on his knees. John and Sam were talking to Dean but he was wholly unaware of this.

"DEAN." John was frantic. He heard the crash and then Sammy's yell only to find his oldest on the floor.

"Dean, slow your breathing but his son didn't give any indication that he was listening. Dammit Dean." John was getting upset.

"Sammy go get Bobby." Sam looked wide-eyed at his father. "Now." Sam scrambled off the floor and ran to the yard.

"Come on Dean. Dammit slow your breathing." John put a hand on Dean's chest. John kept his eyes on Dean's face. Dean's breathing was finally slowing down. Bobby came running in with Sam in tow.

"John?"

"I don't know what's wrong Bobby. He's nearly hyperventilating."

"Dean. Come on boy." But Dean's breathing sped up again and he passed out.

"DEAN!" John was almost hyperventilating himself.

"Let's get him upstairs." John carried Dean upstairs. Bobby checked his injuries to make sure he didn't exacerbate them. Sam was standing in a corner watching, while tears ran down his face. When Bobby told him that everything looked fine he left again. John could hear Sam sniffling.

"Come here Sammy." Sam ran to his father and John hugged him tight.

"Dean's going to be fine."

"Is it my fault?" Sam asked.

"No, why would you think that?"

"'Cause, I was hungry." Sam whispered.

"No buddy. Your brother was just a bit stubborn." John was angry at Dean for that. He watched Dean's face and saw the fluttering of the eyes.

Dean moaned.

"Wha?" Dean said as he opened his eyes.

"What the hell happened, Dean?" Dean recognized that tone. His dad was angry.

"I'm sorry." Dean said. John sighed.

"Sam, why don't you go downstairs and maybe you can help uncle Bobby." Sam looked at Dean. Dean nodded and Sam went downstairs.

"Dammit Dean."

"I didn't mean for it to happen." And John knew that Dean wasn't just talking about the kitchen.

"When I give you an order I expect you to follow it. So when I say, stay the hell inside."

"We'll stay inside." Dean finished. "I just wanted Sam to have some fun. He doesn't have any friends because we keep moving before kids really get to know him." And John knew.

"Well, someone came after your brother because you disobeyed a direct order." Dean hung his head.

"I'll never do it again." Dean said.

"You better not." John said angrily. John got up and left the room leaving an upset Dean behind.

Dean watched his father leave and didn't even try to hold back the tears. This was the second time he let his dad down. He sniveled. He sat like that for a few minutes. He could hear Sam's tiny footsteps on the stairs and quickly wiped his face. Sam ran into the room. Jelly visible on his face.

"Where's the fire, squirt?" Dean asked his brother.

"There's no fire." Sam said earnestly.

"You're such a dork." Dean said. Sam climbed on the bed.

"Daddy's angry."

"I know, squirt. But he isn't angry at you, okay?" Sam nodded. He laid next Dean and they stared at the ceiling. So Dean and Sam stayed upstairs talking about comic heroes and villains.

-SPN-

John was downstairs and apologized to Bobby. Bobby told him he was an idjit. But offered him a soda. It was too early for beer and John accepted. They worked on the beat up Mustang and fixed her right up.

John told the boys to come downstairs and they slowly made their way downstairs. "Time for your exercises, dude." He told Dean needed to his exercises and Dean groaned.

"Can't we do it later, dad?" Dean asked.

"Why not now?" John asked.

"Because I don't feel like doing them right now."

"Are you hurting?" John asked and Dean shook his head.

"Dean?"

"No, not really. Fine, I'll do them right now."

"Bobby's making burgers and I send him to hire a couple of movies and buy popcorn, milk duds and M&M's." Dean and Sam looked at their father.

"Really?" They asked in unison.

"Yeah but we can't watch movies if you don't do your exercises." John said.

"We can do them now, right Sammy?" John laughed at that.

Dean did the exercises, they ate and John made them shower before starting the film. Sam on one side of John and Dean on the other. Dean was hogging the M&M's and Sam the milk duds. Halfway through the film Sam was already asleep, with a half melted milk dud in his mouth. John pulled his boys a bit closer. Dean was half asleep. Eyes kept drooping only to have Dean open them again and pop an M&M in his mouth.

Though his mind kept wondering to what the shifter said about Sammy, for now all was well in the Winchester universe. And John

-SPN-

 **I had to end it somewhere and I know that it wasn't until a few years later that John ran into people that said the same thing about Sam, courtesy of John's journal. So I wanted to leave it at that.**

 **Please don't hate me for it.**

 **Y'all are awesome!**


End file.
